How do I get my business on the World Wide Web ?

1. What is a domain name ?
2. How do I choose an appropriate domain name for my business ?
3. I already have a domain name registered. Can you still design a web site for me ?
4. What is web hosting ?
5. I already have free web space from my current web provider (e.g. FreeServe) Cant I just use that ?
6. What does a web site consist of ?
7. What do I need to provide to get a web site produced ?
8. How long does it take to get a web site up and running ?
9. How can I make sure people find my new web site ?
10. How often should I plan to update my new web site ?
11. How do I sell products using my web site ?
12. My business already has a web site which needs redesigning and/or updating. Can you do this ?

1. How do I get my business on the World Wide Web ? (Top)

To start with you’ve come to the right place. Impact Webmasters can provide you with all the advice and assistance to get a web site designed, produced and fully operational for you and your business. Besides the web site itself, you basically need two other things: a domain name (an “address” for your web site), (see Q3.) and some kind of host (web space where your web site is physically stored, (see Q5) and (Q6.) for your website. Impact Webmasters can advise you about these and arrange them for you.

2. What is a domain name ? (Top)

A domain name is basically an address for your website. Without it, people have no way of telling there Internet browser where your web site is, in order to view it. On the Internet, computers and web sites are actually accessed using there “IP address”, a numerical identification which is unique to that specific computer or website. For example if you were to type in the IP address “64.58.76.224” into the address window, you will arrive at www.yahoo.com

Numerical addresses are not very memorable however. In order to make accessing web sites much easier for everyone, domain names are used in the form of www.impactwebmasters.co.uk. This works in just the same way as the IP address. In fact what happens when a browser tries to go to a particular domain names that special computers on the Internet called name servers look up the domain name in the enormous lists they maintain and translate it into the appropriate IP address so that the connection can be made and the web site appears in the browser window. the domain name is obviously a very important part of having a web site and some consideration should be given to obtaining the right domain name for your business (see Q4.).

3. How do I choose an appropriate domain name for my business ?  (Top)

There are a few points to consider when selecting a domain name for your website.  First consider what Top Level Domain (TLD) you wish to have as part of your domain name. e.g.  .com,  .co.uk, .net,  .tv etc. Next remember that the domain name should be memorable and have a strong connection with your business name and/or its products and services. This can make a significant difference to people arriving at your web site simply by guessing the correct domain name (see Q10.). Ultimately your choice of domain name is likely to be influenced by what names are still available. Thousands of domain names are registered every day across the globe so don’t be supprised if your first choice isn’t available!! Impact Webmasters can advise you on your choice of domain name, check availability for you and advise on alternatives if necessary.

4. I already have a domain name registered. Can you still design a web site for me ? (Top)

Yes. Many clients having already come to us already registered their preferred domain name(s). Indeed this is a sensible step and given the rate at which the domain names are being snapped up world-wide we would advise anyone to register their preferred domain name(s) as quickly as possible, whether via Impact Webmasters or another company. All to often we check domain names for clients only to find they have already been registered, sometimes only a few days or weeks before. If you already have your preferred domain name(s), we can help arrange the necessary transfer so that they will point to your new website. Please be aware that transferring existing domain names may take a week or two depending on the responsiveness of the other company’s involved in the process.

5. What is web hosting ?(Top)

Basically it is the storage of your website on a computer known as a web server. A web server will typically be configured with a degree of redundancy against any hardware or power failures and have a fast, permanent connection to the Internet, so that your website and others also hosted there are available the world 24 hours a day. A web hosting ‘package’ will typically offer an amount of storage for your website (e.g. 100Mb - more than enough for even quite large web sites) and other features such as e-mail forwarding, usage statistics and support for technology such as Perl, CGI, PHP, ASP, JSP and databases. Impact Webmasters can advise you further on hosting your website and explain the features on offer.

6. I already have free web space from my current Internet Provider (e.g. FreeServe.) Can’t I just use that ? (Top)

Fundamentally, yes, you can use free web space from the likes of FreeServe, Virgin Net or any other ‘free’ Internet Service Provider (ISP) to host your website. However there are a number of reasons why this is not a good choice for your business website.

• Firstly, the free web space on offer will generally have an address something like “yourcompanyname.freeserve.co.uk” which isn’t quite as memorable, easy-to-use or professional as having you own domain name. As a rule, companies offering this kind of free web space do not allow you to use a domain name of your own with it.
• Secondly, this kind of free web space is designed more personal home pages rather than serious business web sites and the support offered will tend to be at a level to match.
• Thirdly, free web space of this type is expected to have very low traffic, (i.e web sites using it aren’t expected to have many visitors.). If your website does (hopefully!) receive many visitors, the ISP might well decide to remove it due to the high traffic involved and the relative impact your website could have on it’s servers and network infrastructure. You have no service guarantees with free webspace.
• Finally, support for certain technologies and features such as Perl, Active Server Pages (ASP), PHP, databases and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) will probably be non-existent. This could mean that your website is limited in what it can offer.

Professional web hosting isn’t expensive and the vast majority of businesses and other organisations choose not to compromise their website by using free webspace. Impact Webmasters can advise you further on hosting your website and explain the features on offer.

7. What does a website consist of ?(Top)

There are no hard and fast rules about what a website has to consist of. A website may exist as a single page of plain text or it could be an extensive collection of tens, hundreds or even thousands of pages offering text, images, audio, video and more. Websites generally consist of a number of pages which are designed with a common look and feel (generally, inline with whatever branding is already used by the business concerned, know as Home Styling.). Navigation in the form of buttons or other links is usually provided so that people viewing the website can easily move from page to page as needed and the pages themselves contain and appropriate mix of text and images (logos, diagrams or pictures.) laid out as required. In terms of website content itself, a business planning their website might want to consider having information about the company (who they are, their history and what they do.), information describing the products and services and contact information (possibly with an online contact form for people to use.). In addition they could consider having a map showing their shop(s) or office(s), forms for people to request more information or product literature (or even the opportunity to download literature or view it online.), supplemental information such as terms and conditions, regularly updated news and promotional offers and maybe up-to-date price information. It is also a good idea to include information about any relevant accreditation’s and awards and to consider having links to other relevant sources of online information and companies offering complementary services. Impact Webmasters can advise you further about suitable content for a website based on your specific individual requirements.

8. What do I need to provide to get a website produced ? (Top)

Usually what we need from a client to start the development process rolling is some kind of brief describing the company concerned, the purpose and perceived scope of the website and of course any requirements in terms of time and budget. Moving on from there, it is usually the clients responsibility to provide the actual content for the web site (e.g. text and pictures to be used on the web site) except when it is agreed that Impact Webmasters will produce specific content as part of the web site production. The usual place to start is by gathering together the existing sources of company information and branding the passing examples to Impact Webmasters. This might include company headed paper and other stationary, product literature, company brochures and other company logos, product logos and other branding currently used. Text to be used on the web site should be noted from existing sources (e.g. company brochure) all supplied separate. Impact Webmasters can advise you further about suitable content for a web site based on your specific individual requirements.

9. How long does it take to get a web site up and running ? (Top)

For a ‘typical’ small business web site, we would recommend, allowing 3-5 weeks. Web sites can of course be produced much faster (and much slower!) than this but in our experience we find 3-5 weeks allows enough time for the usual consultation, feedback, additions and amendments which will occur during development. In fact the length of time it takes to develop any web site is usually governed mainly by the availability and supply of the content by the client. To ensure that the development process goes as quickly as possible it is a good idea to think about the web site content and ensure that (as far as possible) it is planned out and available before development begins. E-commerce web sites will take longer to develop due to the additional work involved in requesting elements such as secure web certificates and credit card handling facilities. We would recommend allowing at least 6-8 weeks for any any e-commerces web site development.

10. How can I make sure people find my new web site ? (Top)

This is a very important question. Having a web site means a potential viewing audience of 580 million people online globally (186 million in Europe and 34 million in the UK). However that counts for nothing if no-one can find your web site. To try and ensure as wide an audience as possible, some planning and additional work is essential. Firstly, having a good relevant domain name can help. Many people on the Internet will arrive at web sites simply by guessing appropriate domain names. A domain name based on your company name and/or key products will generally work better than more abstract domain names. Next, you should always advertise your web address on all the other forms of communication your company uses. This includes adding the web site address to stationary, business cards, shop and office signage, company and product literature, answer phone messages, advertising (e.g. flyers, Yellow Pages, press, radio) and vehicle livery. In terms of online promotion, there are other ways to improve your web sites visibility. Opportunities for complimentary links with trade association, other company or popular individual hobbyist web sites should be investigated and action as appropriate. It might also be worth considering a commercial online directory such as www.yell.com. If these are already used to promote the company then the entry should be updated as quickly as possible to include a link to the company website. It is worth bearing in mind that entries with website links are usually given some prominence when people use these kinds of online directory to find companies. Many people search the Internet or companies or products using search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Ask Jeeves. Indeed this is how the majority of web sites are found by people. Getting a high listing on one or more of these key search engines for specific keywords related to your business and its operation can literally mean thousands of visitors to you website. Of course, with millions of web sites on the Internet already, it does take careful web design and regular analysis and re-submission to search engines to help improve a website’s ranking. In addition to search engines submissions, many more opportunities exist today for paid submissions and/or ‘pay per click’ advertising with search engines which offer higher profile or prioritised listings, for price. Finally, for the larger budget, online advertising using banner ads or similar can also be a possibility.

11. How often should I plan to update my new web site ?(Top)

As a general rule it is the most dynamic, often updated web sites which draw the most repeat visits. People will return to a website if they know it is of interest to them and there is going to be regular new content. Having said this, the level of frequency of update should be in keeping with the scope of the website, the intended audience and the time and budget available. It is also important to set the correct expectations for updates on the website so that visitors don’t become disillusioned when content doesn’t change. A news page on a website can provide a useful tool to keep visitors informed about what is going on with a business and introduce new products and promotions. It can also encourage repeat visits. Once introduced it must be maintained and updated on a regular basis whether this be weekly or monthly. Few things make a website look more neglected, unappealing and valueless to visitors that page content and news stories long out of date. In many cases it is probably better to plan a regular review and update every 2-3 months rather than setting expectations of high ‘daily news’ which simply can’t be met.

12. How do I sell products using my web site ? (Top)

There are a number of ways in which a website can be used to sell products. Firstly, the mere act of having a website providing company and product information plus information on how the information can be bought (e.g. shop location, phone numbers for orders) may well mean significant additional business. It is also possible to take this a stage further and provide order forms on the website for people to print and then fill out before posting or faxing. You could even provide an online form for people to submit which allows a company agent to then call back in order to confirm the order and take payment details. Of course, when people talk of selling via a website, they are generally talking about online shops and e-commerce. In this case, not only is the website providing product information etc., it is also providing a convenient means for people to select products online, provide payment information ( in the form of credit card details) and then submit the order whilst online. The credit card payment will normally be authorised online as apart of this process. In order to set up an e-commerce website, there are a number of additional requirements (and costs) which need to be considered. An e-commerce application would usually be integrated within the website to manage the product selection, information and ordering process. There will also be a requirement to host at least part of the website securely using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to ensure that the submitted credit card information in encrypted for security during transmission. Is secure web certificate is also required to prove authenticity to the user. Finally it is necessary to acquire the appropriate merchant status in order to accept credit cards and the services of a specialist online credit card processing company such as DataCash, NetBanx, WorldPay, will be needed.

13. My business already has a web site which needs redesigning and/or updating. Can you do this ? (Top)

Yes. Impact Webmasters is often asked to advise on redesigning and/or updating existing web sites, as well as designing new ones from scratch. Contact us for a free consultation and we will advise and quote accordingly